


Sugar and Salt

by himarisu



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Chefs, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Fluff, Food, Lots of Food, M/M, Mentor/Protégé, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 14:56:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15821208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himarisu/pseuds/himarisu
Summary: When Jihoon says he'll take any job he can get at any Michelin-starred restaurant, he doesn't really mean one as a garbage boy.But with how kind the head chef is rumoured to be, he might have a chance to become someone much more than that.





	Sugar and Salt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [peachbunny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachbunny/gifts).



> Huge thanks to Tori for all the amazing work she's doing by organising this fic exchange! I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love youuu ♥
> 
> And of course, thank you Rae for always being there for me whenever I was whining about this fic and helping me out with it ♥ I LOVE YOU

  


Everyone has to start somewhere.

For Jihoon, that somewhere just so happens to be at the Michelin-starred restaurant _La Maison des Chats_. His friends and family would be so proud of him for living his dream of working in one of the most famous restaurants in Paris, but they still have no idea that he's there not as a chef—

—but as a garbage boy.

  
  
  
  
  


Jihoon stands outside the door and lets out a heavy sigh. He shouldn't be feeling this tired already when the day has just started, so he slaps his cheeks hard before swinging the door open to the busy kitchen.

A few days have gone by since he started his job here, and he's already gotten the hang of when he should empty out each station's rubbish bins. He owes it to his constant observation of all the kitchen staff, which is more for the sake of watching them cook than being more efficient, because if he's going to have the opportunity to work at a restaurant as big as this one, he might as well use it to absorb all the knowledge he can.

But sometimes Jihoon sees the way some of their chefs cook and it has to take every ounce of strength in him to not want to rip the herbs away from their hands as they're about to ruin the dish—just like now as he stares in horror when someone drops one too many pistils of saffron into the pot of bouillabaisse.

 _What are you_ doing, Jihoon wants to yell.

The chef isn't doing anything wrong by any means—in fact, he's following the recipe to a T—but to someone with a nose and tongue as sensitive as Jihoon's, only half a gram of added spice is enough to completely enhance or ruin a dish. And in this case, it's ruining it for him.

While his nose is busy twitching at the too-sweet aroma, the chef suddenly goes away to check on the other cooks in his station, leaving the pot of vibrant orange liquid to stare right back at Jihoon.

He really shouldn't think about wanting to do anything to the soup, especially when he's just a garbage boy and in reality only _he_ would be able to tell the difference in flavour—but with the overdue frustration about always being someone so _useless_ in the kitchen when he knows he can be so much more than that, he marches up to the dish.

(Not before looking both ways to see if anyone is watching him.)

Taking another whiff of the soup, Jihoon scrunches his nose and immediately takes the perfect fix for it from the bowls of ingredients laid out in front of him: one thin slice of Cayenne pepper. He drops it into the pot, stirring it with the ladle in his other hand, and then tastes it for good measure, smiling to himself when the flavours that go together so much better now go down his throat.

"What are you doing?"

Jihoon startles, tablespoon slipping out of his hand and onto the counter with a clatter muted by the shouts in the kitchens as he simultaneously feels all the blood drain from his head. He would recognise that voice anywhere.

Out of all the people that had to catch him in the act, of course, it had to be the man with all the power in the kitchen, the one whose recipe he's tampering with, the head chef, Kang Daniel—

"Did you not hear me? Let me repeat myself: what are you doing?"

At this point, Jihoon regrets ever _thinking_ about wanting to do anything other than throw out the trash. Tears start to well up in his eyes when he realises he really doesn't want to get fired, because even if he really does hate being a garbage boy, at least he's in an environment where he can learn things he wouldn't otherwise be able to from a regular restaurant.

So in hopes that the head chef didn't actually see him do anything to the pot, he turns around with an innocent expression on his face, and says, "Nothing."

"Putting something in the soup doesn't look like 'nothing' to me," replies Daniel, taking a step towards Jihoon. "Unless you think _ruining_ it means nothing to you?"

Forgetting about his earlier thought, Jihoon almost scoffs because that's the one comment he can't stand to hear. If anything, he made the dish taste even _better_ —though he's not about to say that to the person who created it. He backs away from the head chef to put some space between them. "With all due respect, chef, I can guarantee that I did not ruin the dish."

Visibly surprised by his response, Daniel widens his eyes. He opens his mouth, but before he can get a word out, a loud voice sounds from the kitchen line that catches both of their attention:

_"Table number five; two bouillabaisses!"_

They swivel their heads back at each other once the bowls leave the kitchen, and Jihoon is stunned to realise how calm he's actually feeling about this whole situation, even though he just talked back to the head chef and his job is in danger. It helps that Daniel doesn't look pissed—there's a lot of talk in the kitchen about how nice he is, and although Jihoon initially had doubts about whether that kind of personality would be appropriate in an industry as cut-throat as the cooking industry, he is now grateful for it.

But right when Jihoon thinks he'll let him go, Daniel orders him to go to his office.

  
  
  
  
  


A lot of thoughts run through Jihoon's mind while he's in Daniel's office, spurred on by seeing all the awards hung up on the walls and realising that he really _did_ talk back to someone as distinguished as his boss, so the first thing he does when Daniel finally comes in is bow his head deep in apology.

"I'm very sorry about earlier. I spoke without thinking and did something I shouldn't have done as someone with my position," Jihoon chokes out.

"Lift your head, please." So he does, and with a smile on his face, Daniel says, "The customers said it was the best they've tasted here."

Surprised, Jihoon stares at him to check if he's joking, and then his face lights up when he realises he's not. It's intriguing how Daniel even cares to mention his customers' opinions on the soup when he should be getting mad at him for tampering with it instead, and now maybe Jihoon understands a little better why all the kitchen staff like him.

"But like you said, you shouldn't have done that," continues Daniel, his voice slightly more stern. "You may or may not have the talent to cook, but you weren't hired as a chef here. I'll let you off the hook this time and forget this ever happened, but if cooking is your passion, I suggest you find other ways to prove yourself."

Jihoon nods at his feet—more than being upset, he's embarrassed at himself for thinking this would change anything. At least he didn't get fired.

Jihoon feels a comforting hand pat his shoulder and looks up to meet eyes with him. He doesn't notice it when Daniel is doing his rounds in the kitchen, giving out pointers and cracking jokes with his chefs, but now that he's in close proximity like this for the first time, Jihoon can see the genuine concern in Daniel's eyes. And for some reason, he feels like he needs to know. "Did you taste it?"

Daniel smiles, removing his hand to scratch the back of his neck. "I'm actually allergic to seafood... so no, I didn't."

"Then," Jihoon licks his lips. He really doesn't know where all the adrenaline is coming from today but he just hopes he won't regret it the next day when he blurts out, "Then I'll make a dish for you, and prove myself. And once I do, will you be my mentor?"

Jihoon is definitely overstepping his boundaries again, but you don't come across kind-hearted head chefs like him so often.

There's silence for a good few seconds as Daniel stares at Jihoon. "Sure. It just so happens that I'm staying late tonight to make a new menu so you have until then to make me something, cool?"

Jihoon grins. "Yes, chef!"

  
  
  
  
  


"Did you go to a culinary school?"

Jihoon stares at Daniel, who still seems to be deep in thought after taking several bites of the dish he prepared earlier. "No," he answers honestly, chewing his bottom lip.

Humming, Daniel grabs another forkful of the veal, slathering it with the parsley puree, and pops it into his mouth. He puts his silverware down. "That's interesting because this is really delicious," he says, eyes sparkling in wonder at Jihoon. "The butteriness of the puree is genius; really helps balance out the intense meaty flavour of the veal. I'm impressed."

"Thank you, chef." Jihoon bows slightly, unable to suppress the happiness blooming on his face. No matter how many times he's heard it before, it still feels good when a head chef compliments the food he makes.

"But it's obvious you haven't gone to a culinary school. The textures... aren't there; and the plating, if you could even call it that, looks like a five-year-old put it together." Daniel pauses. "Since you know how to cook this, I assume you already know the basics but they're just not refined enough."

That 'five-year-old' comment hurts a particular spot in Jihoon’s pride even if he was expecting something similar, but he only smiles and nods. "I've been practising."

Daniel rests his chin on one hand, scrutinising him from head to toe. After some long seconds of Jihoon awkwardly looking at anything other than him, Daniel announces, "Alright, I'll take you up as my protégé, but only until I'm done creating the new menu."

Jihoon lets out an internal sigh of relief, and quickly says before the head chef can change his mind, "Thank you, chef."

All of a sudden Daniel bursts out in laughter and Jihoon jumps because he didn't think he made a particularly funny joke, let alone one at all. "Wow, I'll never get used to that—call me Daniel outside of work."

Jihoon blinks at him. It might make sense considering it's only an informal mentorship they're getting into, but he would have thought they'd get through one session before they call each other on a first-name basis.

"O-okay... Daniel?"

"You just proved yourself to me, Jihoon," says Daniel, and Jihoon does another double take there because he didn't think he would even _know_ his name when he's just another garbage boy in the restaurant. "Say it with more confidence!"

"Okay," Jihoon squeaks, but he struggles to get anything else out.

"Where did all that confidence from this afternoon go?" Daniel chuckles, an amused glint in his eyes. "Oh well. We'll work on that later."

  
  
  
  
  


Though the first several days under Daniel's mentorship turn out to be nothing less than a mess (apparently due to his lack of experience), they find their rhythm eventually. The nights usually begin with Daniel demonstrating the technique he'll work on that session before they split up; leaving Jihoon alone with his fumbling hands and Daniel with his new menu, while occasionally the latter comes around to check up on his progress, among other things.

"Have you always been interested in cooking?" asks Daniel.

Jihoon turns to the head chef, his knife poised right above the cutting board. "Not really. It's more food than cooking I'm interested in."

"Then why go out of the way to learn how to cook?" Daniel cocks his head. "Not that I think it's wrong or anything; I'm just curious about you."

Pausing at the unexpected intimacy in the comment, Jihoon puts his knife down and answers, "For me, mostly. It's a good skill to have when living alone." And before he realises it, he's also asking him, "What about you?"

Daniel mulls over the question for a while, and it's when Jihoon is looking at him for an extended period of time like this that he realises how attractive his head chef is with his cute facial features and his lean, tall body.

"For me, too, I guess. When people tell me they like the food I make, it makes me feel good about myself. It's not exactly the best incentive but, well, it works," replies Daniel, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway! Show me how you're doing so far."

With how high Daniel's eyebrows go when Jihoon demonstrates where he's at with his _julienne_ or his _en papillote_ , he figures he's doing a good job, and impressively so considering Daniel isn't as skilled with his mouth as he is with his hands. Jihoon finds that the reason he's learning so fast is that he's becoming more inclined to impress Daniel as time passes by—even if he does end up tuning out what the deaf is saying as he's teaching and focuses on what he's doing with his utensils. And maybe sometimes he gets bored and stares at how Daniel's shoulders roll with every cut of his knife, or at how his arms tense when handling tough meats, or at his long, slender fingers instead.

Like now, as they're waving to him from the other side of the counter.

"Sorry? I wasn't paying attention," says Jihoon, standing straight up.

"I said, do you want to call it a day? My babies are waiting for me at home and I forgot to ask a friend to help me out with them." Daniel points at the pan in front of Jihoon with his chin. "Plus it looks like you've gotten the hang of it already. It's like you don't even need me."

"I didn't know you were married," Jihoon replies, choosing to ignore both the last comment and the disappointed tone in his voice.

"What? No, no." Daniel waves his hands vehemently and continues, "My cats—I call them my babies, because, well." He laughs, and—is that a blush on his face? "They're my precious babies."

With his shoulders relaxing, Jihoon releases a sound of understanding as he glances at the nameplate on the wall behind Daniel: _La Maison des Chats_. _Now_ it makes sense. "Cats are cute. I raised one once."

That must have incited something in Daniel because his eyes are sparkling now as he jumps over the counter and grabs him by his arms. "Right? Everyone around me is a dog person and I don't have anything against them but cats are so much more lovable. Don't you find it adorable when they act all cold towards you?"

Jihoon has a particular word for people like Daniel but shoves it to the back of his mind as he continues to listen to him gush about his cats and the specific habits of each one. Unfortunately for him, Jihoon's a dog person himself so he can't relate much to the gratification he feels from having a cat scratch him, but that doesn't stop him from listening more attentively when Daniel looks _this_ happy.

  
  
  
  
  


It's surprising to Jihoon that the question doesn't come earlier in their nightly cooking routine, but he knew it would come around eventually.

"How does your food taste so _good_?" asks Daniel as he takes the last bite of the raspberry pastry, a dessert Jihoon made with the leftovers from tonight's lesson.

"I have a sensitive tongue," explains Jihoon, taking the plate Daniel hands over to him and slathering it with soap suds. "A very sensitive one."

"So? Just 'cause you have a sensitive tongue doesn't mean you'll be a good cook," and Jihoon can't see it right now, but he's pretty sure Daniel is grinning at him. That still doesn't get Jihoon to confess that he might be trying a little harder these days because of him, though.

For the past few days, Daniel has been insistent on getting to know more about him, and although Jihoon doesn't mind much since it makes the nights a little less dull, he still finds it difficult to say much about himself no matter how hard he tries to open up.

"I started cooking because I've always hated the taste of the food I ate," Jihoon starts, turning off the tap and wiping his hands. "My parents thought I was just being a picky eater and that I'd grow out of it, but I never did. The rest is history."

"So why are you stuck in this kitchen with me instead of running a restaurant of your own?"

Jihoon finally looks up at Daniel. The teasing expression he expects to see isn't there; there's only concern left in his eyes, an emotion so raw that Jihoon has to tear his own away before he ends up opening up to him.

"I couldn't afford culinary school. I got lazy during high school and ended up spending too much money on food." _Well, he's not entirely lying._

The serious look on Daniel goes away as he laughs out loud, and Jihoon can't help but feel relief wash over him when he does.

"I wish I could've helped," sighs Daniel.

"You're helping me now."

"I barely do anything! I leave you for like two seconds and when I come back you're already an expert at whatever I took months to master."

Jihoon rolls his eyes. "You're exaggerating. But thanks," and as an afterthought, he adds, "Daniel."

Daniel abruptly gets up from his seat and shuffles towards the other counter, and Jihoon doesn't notice until he raises a hand to scratch his head, but he's fairly sure Daniel's ears are turning a certain shade of red.

With a ceramic plate now in hand, Daniel turns around and places it in front of Jihoon. The head chef's eyes shift back and forth nervously between him and the dish when he lets go of it, and all Jihoon can do is cock his head in confusion at his sudden change in emotion.

Daniel's hands are placed modestly behind his back when he says, "My new entrée. Well, potentially, anyway."

There's a bright burst of colours on the dish of flowers and deep greens, perfect for the summer, with the vibrancy of each one not overpowering the other, but rather, working in harmony. It definitely has Jihoon drooling on sight, but there's that one element in the middle of the plate he can't ignore.

"I thought you said you were allergic," comments Jihoon, eyeing the pink piece of seabream sitting atop the leaves.

Daniel pauses, with a click of his tongue. "I am, but dealing with seafood is just another part of my job."

The head chef shrugs, like it's not a big deal, but that doesn't put Jihoon's worry to rest—he's seen allergic reactions happen to people, some of them more severe than others, and he can't imagine having to willingly go through any of that for the sake of his job.

"Don't look at me like that. I know it's bad," Daniel pouts, "but I keep myself in check, really. I only eat enough to make sure what I'm making is actually menu-appropriate."

"So is it?" Jihoon asks, leaning into the plate to smell the entrée.

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you to try it for me."

Jihoon whips his head around. " _Me?_ "

Daniel chuckles, and Jihoon's beginning to think he likes the look of his smile. "Does it look like there's anyone else in the room?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe there are ghosts here."

"What?" Daniel whispers as he wraps his arms around himself. "What? No, please don't say that."

"Are you..." starts Jihoon, but thinks better as a playful smirk makes its way onto his lips. "You know, I heard that when people see their cats hiss at nothing, it's actually because there's a ghost over there. Maybe you should bring your cat in one day to make sure?"

The teasing hits the bullseye because Daniel yelps in horror, but it also turns out to be a mistake because trips over his own feet, almost crashing into Jihoon in the process. Had it not been for Daniel bracing his fall onto the counter with his hands, and Jihoon's own hands on Daniel's shoulders, the seabream salad would have met a messier end than just ruined aesthetics.

Surprise seems to overtake them as they stand there with Daniel unintentionally pinning Jihoon against the table, both staring at each other with wide eyes, and both waiting for the other to make the first move to get them out of this position.

Jihoon can't be that person though, because he's the one trapped between his arms. "Daniel," he says, quietly, his heart beating a mile a minute. He's surprised how easily the name rolls off his tongue now. "I think you're okay now."

Removing his hands like the counter was lava, Daniel moves away and coughs, "Y-yeah, I'm okay." His eyebrows furrow. "But I don't ever want to hear 'ghosts' and 'cats' in the same sentence ever again."

"Sure," Jihoon says quickly, fanning himself with his shirt. "So, um, the entrée?"

Daniel grabs a fork from one of the metal containers and passes the blunt side to him. Gathering pieces of the fish and vegetables with the silverware, Jihoon looks warily at Daniel, who gets the hint and takes a step back to give him space.

Jihoon gulps, takes a bite, and...

"Well? How is it?" asks Daniel, back in his original position next to Jihoon after he hasn't said anything for a while. "Be honest. I won't get mad."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Jihoon stares at the heavy fork he's holding. The dish definitely tastes above average and the textures go well together, but he wouldn't necessarily say it's Michelin-star-worthy—there's something missing in the dish that would take it to the next level and make it a potential best-seller.

But when Daniel is staring at him expectantly like that, it becomes a little harder for Jihoon to be as honest as he might want him to, because the last thing he wants to do is to disappoint Daniel and be the reason why his smile goes away.

"It's... It's alright," and upon Daniel's disheartened face, Jihoon swears internally and quickly adds, "but don't take my word for it because I'm not really the best person to ask since–"

"No, it's fine. Thanks, Jihoon." Daniel gives him a smile, though his eyes are distant now. "You're the perfect person to ask since I know what you're capable of and if you think it's not there, well..."

Daniel trails off as he shifts his eyes to the plate in front of them, and exhales sharply. He never finishes his sentence.

  
  
  
  
  


It's obvious that Daniel isn't in a good mood these days.

He's a little less enthusiastic during after-hours, choosing to talk with Jihoon only when he's teaching before he goes off in his little corner, no doubt still working on that new menu of his. He doesn't come by to check up on Jihoon as often anymore, and Jihoon finds that the space around feels emptier than ever without a certain head chef's presence near him.

That's when he realises that Daniel is the reason why their sessions are so fun to him in the first place: not only does he get to hear Daniel talk about his experiences as a chef, but also personal tidbits of his life, his cats, and his friends and family—the things you wouldn't necessarily share to someone who's just a temporary protégé.

And Jihoon begins to wonder if Daniel talks about him to anyone else like that; with a sparkle in his eyes and some sort of sweetness dripping from his lips, and, if he does, then just the thought of it has his heart beating faster than ever.

  
  
  
  
  


"Do you really think I'd _ever_ serve this at my restaurant?"

Everyone's heads are down and they may look like they're busy working, but Jihoon knows that they're all listening to the exchange going on between the head chef and pastry cook.

"N-no, chef."

"Glad you understand," Daniel says, arms folded on his chest. "Care to tell me why you think so?"

A junior cook standing next to Jihoon hitches his breath audibly, and it's easy to see why: Daniel, known for having a soft spot for everyone in the kitchen, actually reprimanding staff out in the open for making mistakes? Those kinds of things only happen in his office, and it's done deliberately so that there isn't a tense atmosphere in the kitchen like there is right now.

"The citruses, they have—they're overpowering the dish?" the cook answers with a tremble in his voice.

Daniel heaves a sigh, and then there's a deafening silence.

Although he tries not to be too self-conscious about it, Jihoon feels somewhat guilty for the change in his personality. It might not even be entirely his fault, but it's hard not to think that way when Daniel only started acting this way after he made the comment about his entrée.

So Jihoon looks up at Daniel out of curiosity, only to find him staring straight back at him.

"Jihoon, come over here."

All heads whip up from their pots and pans, looking around the kitchen to see who Daniel is referring to. They've never heard of a Jihoon in their kitchen before, so when the specified man begins to walk towards the head chef, he can feel the initial bore of their eyes into the back of his head before the pressure goes away and they go back to cooking again.

It isn't an odd occurrence for senior chefs to call him over to trash food they won't end up serving—though they opt to refer to him as (the less affectionate) 'garbage boy' rather than his name—so that's what Jihoon expects Daniel to tell him to do when he arrives at the dessert station, trash bag still in hand from his previous round of duties.

"Yes, chef?"

Just as Jihoon thought he would, Daniel motions towards the containers of elements of the dessert they were about to serve. He's about to pick one up and dump it into the black garbage bag, but then Daniel says something else.

"Taste it for me."

Hushed whispers pass around the room as Jihoon widens his eyes at Daniel, but he doesn't question him twice as he accepts the spoon given to him and looks at the plate on the wooden table.

It's a dessert, as expected, and the orange, yellow, and green certainly look fresh and appetising, but how it'll actually be on Jihoon's tongue is another story. He takes what he assumes to be the tangerine crème and the lemon sponge cake, and a little bit of the rest of the elements on his spoon, puts it into his mouth, and chews.

Almost immediately, Jihoon gets what Daniel means and sends him a look. If not for the pastry cook being someone of high seniority who he definitely doesn't want to offend, Jihoon would have spit out the food (if you can even call it that) back onto his spoon—and even he considers himself somewhat of a germaphobe.

Daniel rolls his eyes at him as if to say, _I know, right?_ and then asks, "Well, Jihoon? What do you think?"

Jihoon certainly doesn't like being put on the spot like this; he can feel the weight of people's eyes on him once again, though this time, they're more intense. He's not sure what Daniel is trying to achieve by blatantly trying to get him to trash-talk the pastry cook, but maybe he should trust him with this.

So he manages to swallow what he bit off and doesn't hold back.

"It's not that the citruses overpower the dish, it's more like the elements refuse to go well together. The crème is bland and feels like mud in my mouth; the sponge cake is dry and too lemony; there's too much coriander in the tuiles that it tastes completely bitter; and... I just don't like it at all." And, as if it would make things better, Jihoon finally adds, "I'm sorry."

From what Jihoon can see, everyone in the kitchen is staring at him in shock, except for Daniel: he strikingly has a huge grin on his face, as if Jihoon hadn't just insulted one of the biggest chefs in his restaurant.

It gets even more strange when Daniel steps towards him. Jihoon half-expects a reprimand for being way too blunt with the criticism, so he is obviously surprised when the head chef instead pets his hair softly for all of them to see.

And although Jihoon knows he doesn't like having everyone's attention on him, he realises that it's not so bad when he has Daniel's in particular.

"Great, thanks," he says, brushing a strand behind Jihoon's ear. "So I'll have you work together with him on the dessert station to make sure the quality is what is expected. I'm sure we're all open-minded enough in here to let that happen, right?"

"Yes, chef," the pastry cook replies with a straight face.

Jihoon sends him a panicked look, but Daniel only gives him a reassuring smile in response, so it leaves him no choice but to say, "Y-yes Dan—I mean. Yes, chef."

The laugh Daniel stifles and the scandalised faces he gets around the room are enough for Jihoon to want to hide in the janitor's closet for the rest of the day.

  
  
  
  
  


Jihoon hears a pleasant humming when he walks in from the staff washroom that night. As he approaches the kitchen line, where Daniel is sitting on a metal stool, he also sees that there are rows of small bowls and plates of food which are presumably the leftovers from today's service.

Cautiously taking a seat next to the chef and greeting him with a small smile, Jihoon watches as Daniel busily rearranges the bowls and plates into small groups, spinning some of the lighter ones on his finger and showing it off to him.

"How did it go?" asks Daniel once he seems satisfied with where everything is placed.

Biting his lip, Jihoon replies, "Better than expected. I thought he'd be more..."

"Harsh? Evil?" Daniel smirks. "I've been working with these people for years now, Jihoon, so you don't have to worry about that."

He says, sceptically, "You're talking as if it's going to be a regular thing from now on."

"Maybe." Daniel thrums his fingers on the table, and continues, "It's a good experience for you, and I think everyone in the kitchen could use a little more valuable constructive criticism."

Jihoon blushes upon recalling his harsh words from that afternoon and then from the more mild ones he said to Daniel. "I'm sorry about what I said that time."

"No, no, don't be sorry. You didn't even say anything mean."

"I don't think you mean that considering how sulky you've been the past several days."

"I wasn't—" Jihoon gives him a look, and Daniel sighs. "Okay, I _was_ being sulky. But not because you said something mean! It was because..." Another sigh. "I care a lot about what people think, okay, so when you said you didn't like it... I got upset."

"Oh," Jihoon voices quietly.

Daniel laughs, rubbing the back of his head. "Dumb, huh? To think that what people say about me can affect me this much... I've always heard that someone with my kind of personality doesn't belong in the kitchen."

"Then that makes the two of us."

Jihoon doesn't know why he wants to share this with Daniel when it's something he constantly wants to keep in the back of his mind, but he continues, "I care too: about what people think and say about me, to the point where I've quit a few apprenticeships because of it. I've even had good chances at starting up my own restaurant too, but I always withdrew at the last minute because I was constantly scared that people would end up hating it, or maybe even me, and that's why I'm where I am now." He swallows. "I don't regret anything though. It's just what happened."

There's silence between them for a while as they're left with their own thoughts, and Jihoon almost regrets talking about his problems when they were talking about _Daniel's_ problems in the first place when the latter speaks up, completely deadpan, "I guess both of our lives suck, huh."

Jihoon has to snort at that. "Says the one with the restaurant and the kitchen staff who absolutely adore him."

"Oh?" Daniel smirks, turning his body to face Jihoon fully. "So are you included in this 'kitchen staff' grouping too?"

Jihoon really dug his own grave there, but he doesn't want to outright deny what he's implying. "Depends. Do you actually want me to be part of the kitchen staff?"

"Definitely not," Daniel grimaces. "I never said anything when you made dishes for me because I didn't want to hurt your feelings but... yeah. I think it's serious. Your plating sucks."

Jihoon stands up to glare at him and that, to Daniel, seems to be hilarious, because even with his arms raised in defence, he's bursting out in laughter and almost falling off his chair.

There's a huge weight that lifts off his shoulders as Jihoon sees that, though, and he's both relieved and happy to know that he and Daniel can go back to joking around with each other once again. And what feels even better is knowing that now, they understand each other a little bit better.

"Actually, today's lesson just so happens to be about plating," explains Daniel, gesturing at everything on the table. "Your technique is already great now, so all that's left is this last step. We don't even have to go through flavours since you're already good with that."

Nodding along with Daniel, Jihoon contemplates for a bit before asking, "But are we good now?"

Daniel blinks at him. "Yes, we're good now, Jihoon. And you can be as brutally honest as you want because I can take it."

Humming, Jihoon shoots him a look and asks, "You sure you won't sulk and retreat to your little corner when I do?"

"I _won't_ ," asserts Daniel with a hint of a smile on his lips, "because I wouldn't want you to be lonely without my company."

  
  
  
  
  


Daniel keeps his word about not getting offended when Jihoon gives constructive criticism about his new menu, which he's even switched up entirely, opting for a more 'Daniel-friendly dish' (as the head chef says himself) with the lack of any seafood in it. He also keeps his word about not letting Jihoon be 'lonely'—if only by sticking to him like glue the entirety of their sessions, claiming that on top of keeping him company, it's also a lot more efficient than having to walk all the way from his usual area just to ask Jihoon for his opinion.

A lot of progress is being made because of Jihoon's input, which also means Daniel is almost done with the new creation. And although Jihoon should be happy for him, his heart can't help but sink when he realises their time together like this is coming close to an end.

"Here," says Daniel, slightly waving the spoon of liquid in his hand.

Turning to him from his own work, Jihoon takes the bite, passing it around in his mouth for a bit before he states, "Still too boring."

Daniel groans and collapses onto the table, flailing his arms about. "That's too vague! How can I make a bouillon _un_ boring?"

"I'm not about to do your work for you and not get paid for it," retorts Jihoon, going back to plating his roasted quail with greens and feeling satisfied with his comeback.

Peering over his shoulder, Daniel looks at the decorated plate of food and releases a huff. "Rule of Odds, Jihoon—you have four dollops on the side there," and Jihoon can almost hear the smirk on his lips when he says, "Can't count?"

Jihoon presses his eyelids shut. He should be getting annoyed at the insult but instead, he's thoroughly enjoying it. "Thanks for your concern, _chef_ , but I was just too distracted by how bad that broth was to count properly."

"Wow, you're so uncute these days."

"So you used to find me cute, then?"

" _Used_ to, yes."

There's a pause in their conversation as Jihoon falls back onto concentrating on his task with a shy smile on his face and butterflies in his stomach, making sure the fifth dollop of sauce is positioned correctly and is of similar size to the rest with difficulty.

After a while, Daniel clears his throat. "So, Jihoon, what are you going to do after all of this is done?"

Raising his head once again, Jihoon's heart beats faster as he asks, "What do you mean?"

"I mean after I'm done," explains Daniel, fiddling with his hands. "I definitely won't let you go back to being a garbage boy, and as much as I'd love to, I can't hire you either—we don't have any openings."

Jihoon hums, feeling a little disappointed that that means he won't be able to work at _La Maison des Chats_ anymore, even if he is grateful that Daniel considered hiring him at all. "No plans as of now, I guess."

"Really? That's great!" Upon Jihoon's puzzled expression, Daniel clarifies, "I mean, it's not great that you're going to be jobless or anything, but it's great because I have an amazing cook as a friend who runs his own little restaurant at home and he told me he'd love to have you as an apprentice!"

The confused expression on Jihoon doesn't go away. "He knows me?"

"Uh, yes?" Daniel coughs, nervously. "I talk to him about you a lot, so that's why he was the one who offered to have you as an apprentice... Ah, but don't worry, I didn't mention anything about your previous apprenticeships at all."

The two words 'a lot' are replaying in Jihoon's mind over and over again—he feels like his cheeks are about to explode.

"I-is that a no then? Because that's totally—"

"No," interjects Jihoon. "No, I mean, yes. Yes, I'd love to be his apprentice."

Daniel gives Jihoon a huge grin, brushing a few strands of his hair. "I'm glad. He's a great guy, and I'm sure you'll learn a lot from him."

"A lot more than I did from you?" asks Jihoon, jokingly.

"I'd hope not," laughs Daniel. "Otherwise I might get jealous."

Jihoon laughs along with him, but only because he knows there's no way anyone else but Daniel can take that special spot in his heart.

  
  
  
  
  


On a Sunday afternoon, Jihoon visits Seongwoo's restaurant, located on a tiny corner in the outskirts of the city, to introduce himself upon Daniel's insistence of it. Daniel would have joined him as well if he didn't have to visit the countryside to gather new batches of produce for his restaurant, but Jihoon actually prefers it this way since it'll give him a chance to get to know his new head chef by himself.

Seongwoo takes him on a tour of his restaurant (a short one because of how small it is), and Jihoon finds himself instantly falling in love with the atmosphere, and how peaceful it is with the wind chimes hanging by the open windows and with the sea-themed decor dotted around the area. The calming atmosphere is enhanced even further by their waiters—especially the one with the slanted eyes, who Jihoon learns later is Seongwoo's boyfriend, and who co-owns the restaurant with him.

The kitchen is also as serene as the dining area—although of course, it's nowhere near as high-tech as the one at Daniel's—and watching the few chefs work lights a fire in Jihoon that has him excited to work together with them. It seems like it won't be difficult working with Seongwoo either since their personalities match: even if it's their first meeting, they seem to bounce off each other’s playful characters well.

Overall, Jihoon is happy that Daniel brought this opportunity up to him, and he might even say he wouldn't mind starting tomorrow at this new restaurant with Seongwoo. He definitely won't bring it up until Daniel is done creating his new dish, though.

"Hey, Jihoon." They're standing at the bright blue door of his restaurant and Jihoon is just about to leave when Seongwoo calls him. "Wanna know a secret?"

"What is it?" asks Jihoon. Something about the restaurant? Strange kitchen staff? Weird customers?

"Y'know how Daniel is a really famous chef in Paris, right?"

"Yes, I do," says Jihoon, slowly.

"Well, he could've gotten _any_ other chef—even the Michelin-starred ones—to offer you an apprenticeship under his recommendation, but he didn't, and got you one under us instead. And no, it's definitely not because he thinks you're not capable of it or he's petty or anything." Seongwoo pauses to flash a smirk at him. "It's only because he visits our restaurant often. Pretty selfish of him, don't you think?"

Jihoon tries to suppress the tug on his lips at the implication. "Even though he can just ask me to hang out?"

"Right?" groans Seongwoo, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Exactly what I told him. Except slightly different. Wow, I'm glad you're smart in comparison, Jihoon."

"But I think working for you would be a lot more fun than working in those famous restaurants," voices Jihoon. "From what I've seen today, at least."

Seongwoo chuckles, leaning against the doorframe. "We're happy to have you here too, Jihoon. Just make sure that the next time you come here, you and Daniel are a thing. Please. Minhyun and I are getting sick of listening to him whine about how cute you are all the time."

  
  
  
  
  


"Heard from Seongwoo that you're happy with the place," comments Daniel as he attempts to take a strawberry slice from Jihoon's decorated plate.

Jihoon swats his hand away. "I am. It's really peaceful there, and Seongwoo's nice. And funny."

A hum, and then a pause as Daniel continues to observe him plating up some strawberry meringue and raspberry créme. There's no commentary provided as Jihoon makes the finishing touches—he really has improved that much in the span of a week, all thanks to the constant grumble in his ear.

"You're already calling your new head chef by his name, huh."

Jihoon rolls his eyes and turns to face him. "Daniel."

"Hm?"

"Daniel," repeats Jihoon, gazing right into his eyes with a sweet smile on his face. "Daniel. Danieeel, Niel. Niel? Dani—"

Suddenly, his field of vision gets blocked by a hand, and later he hears Daniel stammer, "W-what?"

Peeking up at him from underneath his hand, Jihoon notes the blush on his face and says, "You said you'd let me taste your new menu when I'm done plating this."

"Aw, cute," says Daniel, mockingly. "Looking forward to eating my food?"

"No, just curious if you somehow managed to make it taste any worse."

Finally putting his hand down, Daniel frowns at him. "Meanie."

Yet he still obediently plates up a dish with the elements prepared beforehand from the corner of the counter: first, a wrapped roll of roasted chicken at the side garnished with thin parsley, followed by dots of citrus gel and an appropriate amount of potato bouillon and parsley oil, and finally, a spoonful of sour cream ice cream on top of croutons.

Pushing the dish towards Jihoon, Daniel bows slightly with a hand gesture like a waiter's, and Jihoon responds accordingly with a bow of his own.

Jihoon looks over the aesthetics of the textures and contrasting colours of green and brown, and comments, "It's beautiful."

"The taste is what matters the most, though," replies Daniel, passing him a fork and knife.

Still drooling over the entrée's visuals, Jihoon accepts the silverware and quickly cuts off and picks up as much as he can in his fork ( _elegantly_ , as Daniel has taught him while they were both slacking off) and puts it into his mouth.

The look on Daniel's face is priceless as Jihoon begins to chew, and he would make fun of him for it if not for the intense combination of flavours on his tongue.

Placing the fork on the table, Jihoon swallows, and then gapes at him. "It's amazing."

"What?" scoffs Daniel, giving him a disbelieving look. "Don't lie, Jihoon. I told you I can take your criticism, didn't I?"

"I'm _not lying_ ," protests Jihoon, eyes wide open as he looks at Daniel in amazement. "It's actually so good? The freshness and lightness of the dish are so perfectly balanced? I can't believe it—it's literally the best thing I've ever tasted in—"

The rest of Jihoon's praises fall on deaf ears as Daniel leans in for a hug, arms tight around his waist and face burrowed in his neck as Jihoon stands there, momentarily frozen by the warmth and proximity. Then he relaxes into it, resting his chin on Daniel's shoulder and patting his back, closing his eyes to appreciate his presence and the rise and fall of his chest.

"You did well," Jihoon says, quietly.

Daniel lets go of him, staring straight into Jihoon's eyes as he slides a hand down to Jihoon's. "You're too good to me."

Jihoon feels his face grow hot and snorts, "I'm not the one you should be pleasing, by the way. It's what your customers think that matters most."

Furrowing his brows, Daniel replies, "I care way more about what _you_ think, though?"

"Why?" Jihoon's heart is skipping pleasantly as he squeezes his hand unconsciously, hoping that this is finally it.

"Isn't it obvious?" asks Daniel, eyes travelling down to his lips before going back up again. "I like you. A lot."

Unable to suppress the smile on his face any longer, Jihoon laughs and confesses, "I like you too, Daniel."

Daniel's eyes crinkle into crescents at the mention of his name, and Jihoon figures he'll never get tired of seeing that.

"You know, there's something else I want to say." Daniel licks his lips, and continues, "I'm kind of curious as to how I taste."

Jihoon tilts his head, bashfully. "And?"

"You have a sensitive tongue," Daniel says as he cups his chin. "So maybe you can tell me?"

"I can tell you as long as you promise you won't sulk about it."

"I can't. It might be a hard blow considering we're going to be kissing on the regular from now on."

Jihoon laughs unreservedly and pulls Daniel in by his nape so their lips are barely touching.

"It's okay. We'll just have to do it until I get used to your taste."

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> ..........(kissy noises)
> 
> Don't forget to read all the other fics from nielwink ss!! ♥  
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